Developed and published by Sakari Indie, Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood is a third-person shooter with a strong taste for total mayhem. Don’t be thrown off by the cartoon-style graphics, because it’s less than a cute little game; it’s a puppy waiting to tear your hand off.

Not only that, but the title went from start to finish within only a few months. With that being known, are the faults of a short developmental period evident or does it prevail like our last little hero?

The premise of the game is simple: you play as the last standing legionnaire in a fight against a rebel army. It is your duty to protect 25 villagers from a terrible threat. Armed with a multitude of weapons, you have to decimate your enemies before they can reach the town hall where the civilians are awaiting rescue. With each successful kill, you’re awarded points depending on a handful of factors: e.g. did you perform a chain kill, did you land a head shot, did you blow his body to smithereens, etc. After the round has been completed, your score is tallied and ranked on a global board.

There are many fine points to the game, but there are also a handful of problems with it. The most obvious issue is the length of the game. Being a game sold on Steam for roughly six dollars, you would think it’d take a few hours for one play through. When in fact, the developers only designed one mission, and it takes about ten minutes to complete – shorter if you kill all the enemies before the clock runs down. Although the game is inexpensive, the fact is that there are longer games on the Internet that are free: e.g. Battlefield Heroes, Sin Mark and The Great Siege just to name a few.

The length of game aside, you’ll find that getting all the achievements are highly reasonable, which will allow for a bit of replay. Not to mention, playing on veteran mode (highest difficulty) will add an enjoyable challenge.

With that being said, there isn’t anything terribly unique about the game play, but it does maintain a certain draw. The game offers a multitude of weapons ranging from a standard pistol to a rocket launcher, as well as a hidden mini gun. Players will find the m4 rifle the most reliable weapon of the bunch, but the airstrike is quite handy in sticky situations.

On the receiving end of your bullets are three different types of enemies with particular weak points. Finding and exploiting these weak points add an additional element of strategy to the game. For example, a direct hit to the chest of an exploder will set off the dynamite strapped to him and take out any other of his compatriots surrounding him.

One slightly irritating aspect is that it’s particularly difficult hitting these spots, as the weapons have overly large cross hairs; it’d be nice if the developers added a sniper rifle or made ways for players to make their shots a bit more accurate – you’ll run through ammunition quite quickly.

On the other hand, there is a calling station where you can signal for supplies. The supplies will repair the town hall if damaged and replenish any depleted ammo. Calling and getting the supplies takes a bit of strategy in and of itself.

In terms of graphics, the developers decided to go with a cartoon-style of visuals. Although they could be a bit more detailed, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the simple graphics and the over abundance of blood sprays. Likewise, the landscape and buildings could also use a bit more detail, but the area conveys a desert village under siege feeling.

As for the sound, there isn’t anything stellar about the gun shots and explosions, but the general score works in a unique way. The tempo of the music evolves around your situation in the battleground. For example, if you’re sitting back and picking enemies off one at a time, the music is calming, but if you’re being over run from every angle, the music quickly ramps up to an intense score. The use of it is well done and cleverly immerses players into the game.

Finally, even though the game is roughly six dollars, I’d consider holding off on this purchase. The reason being is that it doesn’t feel like a complete game. I’m curious to see if the developers decide to add a few more maps and a bit more depth, as far as weapons, enemies, and possibly a story mode. Players will enjoy the simplicity, but you’ll also only play it for about an hour at most.

Gameplay
There isn't anything about the game that sets it apart from other third-person shooters, but finding and successfully hitting enemy weak spots is a thrill.

8.0

Sound
The gun shots and explosions serve there purpose, but the unique thing about the sound is the progression of music tailoring to your combat situation.

1.0

Longevity
There is only one mission, and it will last you about ten mintues. Although there is reason for replay, you'll maybe spend about an hour at most playing this game in its entirety.

4.5

Overall
Although the game has its high points, I can't really condone a price tag on a game that just does not feel complete. This is especially true when there are free games on the Internet that offer a lot more.

Thank you for reviewing our game! As you pointed out we made this game in a very short time, 3 months, 3 developers and our own money. We are happy to announce that there are more levels and weapons coming up for free! Our deadline is 18/12/2009!

I love this game, where there is not much to it it makes up for it by being so addictive, its a really fun game and different..! Reasonably priced for the content plus once there is a multi player its going to be great as an online game and i am looking forward to more updates :O) Amazing job.. Thanks! Was a great Christmas present.

Dont listen to these old reviews. When the game was released it was very light. They added a ton more maps after the game was released in december 2009 and way more weapons and even character customization. The game is more like a 8/10 game now. I loved the fresh idea and concept and tons to unlock and do! already have about 4 hours on this game so far and then i just beat it. But it is by far not short at all for 4 hours plus there is alot of replay value here. Possible mutiplayer update in the future too if you keep an eye on it.